View Policy Brief

04/2023

This policy brief identifies factors associated with inpatient length-of-stay (LOS) for the treatment of substance use disorders (SUDs) and whether there are systematic differences in LOS for rural and urban residents.

Key Findings:

• Inpatient LOS for SUD treatment were longer for rural residents using urban hospitals than rural residents using rural hospitals.
• LOS were longer for patients who resided in mental health professional shortage areas and in areas with fewer buprenorphine waivered physicians.
• Medicare patients had longer hospital stays than similar patients without Medicare when holding other factors constant, including patient age, and the presence of other SUD, mental, and chronic conditions.
• Medicaid LOS differed between states, but more research is needed to understand how the federal-state cost-sharing structure affects the availability and effectiveness of outpatient and inpatient treatment for SUD.

Rural Health Equity Research Center

Curt Mueller, Craig Holden, Shena Popat, Alana Knudson

Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), Hospitals and clinics, Medicaid and CHIP, Medicare, Medicare Advantage (MA), Private health insurance, Substance use and treatment